1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for rapidly linking a boot to a sport article, especially a gliding sport article, such as an ice skate, roller skate, or in-line roller skate.
2. Description of Background and Material Information
Conventional linking systems consist of straps, arranged in the area of the instep girth and the metatarso-phalangeal articulation, that are tightened on the boot. Such linking systems have the drawback of causing excessive pressures and painful spots in the tightening areas without providing, however, a definite clearance-free assembly of the boot to the gliding member.
Different solutions have been envisioned in order to obtain such assemblies, without creating painful tightening spots for the user, from complementary linking systems provided in the boot sole and on the upper portion of the gliding member.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 908,536 provides a method for linking the boot to the gliding member (in this case, an ice skate blade) with a bayonet system. In a particular embodiment, two bayonet systems are provided in the longitudinal direction at the front, whereas a bayonet system perpendicular to the previous ones is provided at the rear.
Such a system imposes a pivoting movement of the rear portion whereas the front portion is already fixed and therefore requires substantial clearances for locking the boot.
Such clearances are incompatible with a good transmission of forces. Based upon Canadian Patent Publication No. 2,141,360, it is known to assemble a boot to an in-line roller skate frame through a buckle fastening at the rear on one of the sole edges. Such a system requires having a sole, on the one hand, extremely rigid, since it is what ensures the linkage to the frame through each of the ends, and that it is therefore subject to substantial forces of compression in the longitudinal direction and, on the other hand, overlapping with respect to the boot upper.
Obviously, such a boot is not well adapted for walking. A similar assembly system is disclosed in French Patent Publication No. 2,720,286 and is subject to the same drawbacks.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,675 discloses a principle for assembling a boot to a frame for an ice skate or roller skate using two pairs of wedge linkages at the front and at the rear, respectively, each wedge linkage having a double gradient in the vertical and transverse direction, respectively.
Such a linkage system requires a very rigid sole and is extremely difficult to achieve, given the existence of double ramps. Indeed, if the conical portions do not correspond or if they correspond incorrectly, a clearance harmful to a rigid and solid assembly will occur. Further, even if the ramps are adjusted correctly, such a system is very sensitive to vibrations and can very easily loosen itself, especially when roller skating which, in particular, causes vibrations.
In any case, the removability the boot is achieved at the expense of the rigidity and accuracy of the boot/gliding member assembly.
Moreover, the known assembly principles are all more or less complicated and require using two hands and the help of tools, especially for screwing. In addition, they are incompatible for using the boot as a walling shoe.